On top of that, buyers are more informed than ever, and don’t need to rely on sales people to find products or services. All of these factors lead to prospects who will say anything to get off the phone and end a cold call. We outlined some points to help navigate the common objections to cold calls, and turn it into an opportunity to help your prospects.

Why Prospects Object

Objections during initial outreach come across in a few different ways. Prospects pull away, try to get off the phone, or cite an obstacle that would prevent them from committing to a next meeting. The intention of a cold call is to “hook” new prospects with a message. Make it just interesting enough for them to schedule a follow-up meeting and continue the conversation.

Many sellers neglect this point and provide details about the product or service in the first interaction. A common strategy among sellers is to fit as much description into a short window of time as possible. The hope is that with more attractive client names, success metrics and benefits squeezed in, SOMETHING will hit home with the prospect. The truth is that most prospects identify the first few words as a “sales pitch” and tune out completely.

The Alternative: Embrace the Objection

A successful member of my team once told me, “Before each dial, I’m expecting an objection – so I prepare for it.”

But what should you do when the prospect immediately asks, “What is this about? Is this a sales call?” My high-performing colleague viewed this situation differently than most – he actually loves when a prospect demands the reason for a call. He told me, “Sure the prospect is skeptical, but they’re engaged enough to listen.”

The prospect is probably in the middle of a project or task and caught off guard. But they want to understand why you’re calling, so get straight to the point. Then ask a question that directly relates to the reason for my call.

In the face of the stereotypical telemarketer, many potential buyers screen out sales calls just to survive their day. Your message isn’t getting to them unless it speaks to something they care about from their environment.

Responding to Objections

Sometimes the worst objections are not even outright rejections, but are expressed through an aggressive or resistant tone. An irritated, “What’s this about?” or, “Is this a sales call?” are familiar to any seller who has spent time proactively reaching out to prospects by phone.

Being concise is key, but so is immediately bringing up something about that prospect and connecting it to the reason for the call. Often, a call like that lasts 10 minutes and ends with a scheduled call later that week. When they say they don’t have time, it’s usually a gut reaction to the many sellers reaching out to them.”

As for answering, “Is this a sales call?” Stay composed and address the prospect’s reaction before sharing the reason for the call. Then relate it to something the prospect cares about. You can also acknowledge the objection. Say something like “I would never try to sell you on a two-minute call. But I had an idea about why [trend] might be relevant to some priorities of yours.”

You could also say, “I know you must be busy and get a lot of these calls, but I noticed…” and reference a bit of research you have done on the prospect. Keep in mind that this approach WILL NOT WORK if you have not effectively prepared for the call beforehand!

These tips are also a great reminder of the value of a good sales culture that encourages collaboration and discussion between BDAs. The approaches shared with me by colleagues and team members have served me well through years of cold calling and objection handling. By incorporating these steps into your cold calls, you can develop a greater level of comfort responding to common sales objections. And help dispel the pushy telemarketer stereotype, one dial at a time.